Electrical connection means



Oct. 24, 1939.

H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS Filed Sept. 7, 1935 fD oqglas l NV wwaa fiww Ilaarsrs A .uu-ro R B $5M,

AT To R.NLT$

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS Harry A. Douglas, Bronson, Mich., assignor to Kingston Products Corporation, a corporation My invention relates to electrical connection means, and more particularly to means for receiving conductor terminals of the snap type, and the principal object of my invention is to pro- 5 vide new and improved electrical connection means of these types.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume, and in this drawing l Figure 1 is an elevational view of the embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, and including, in addition, a plug conductor terminal adapted to cooperate therewith, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parts comprising the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the parts being shown in disassembled relation.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown comprises a terminal post I8, suitably mounted on a base II. The terminal post I8 includes a body I2, here shown as made of sheet metal stock, bent in a generally right angular formation. The body I2 includes a generally vertical wall I3, and a generally horizontal wall I4, the latter wall serving as a foot for the body I2, and being integral with the vertical wall I3 and extending at right angles from the lower end thereof.

The terminal post I is provided with a plug terminal receiving recess, here shown as including a circular aperture I5 formed in the vertical wall I3. The top part of the vertical wall I3 is provided with downwardly slanting surfaces I6, and as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the left hand surface I6 is provided with a recess I'I, having marginal walls I8 and I9, and a bottom Wall 28. The horizontal wall I4 is provided with an aperture 2I, spaced from the vertical wall I3, and adapted for the reception of suitable fastening means, here shown to be a screw 22 passing through the aperture 2I, and having its screw-threaded end engag-eable with a screw-threaded aperture formed in the base I I. A margin of the horizontal wall I4 is provided with a downwardly struck projection 23 for a purpose to hereinafter appear.

Biasing means 24 are provided for cooperation with the body I2, and comprise a generally plane elongated horizontal wall 25, formed with an aperture 26 and a slot 21. Extending angularly upwardly from a portion of a longitudinal margin of the horizontal wall 25, and integral therewith,

7,1935, Serial No. 39,570

is a generally plane leg 28, provided with a curved portion 29, here shown to be substantially semicylindrical, and disposed intermediate the free end of the leg 28 and the junction of this leg with the horizontal wall 25. The leg 28 is also provided with a relatively narrow slot 35, preferably of a width to freely pass the thickness of the vertical wall I3 of the body I2, and extending from a point adjacent the junction of the leg 28 with p the horizontal wall 25, to a point short of the free end of the leg 28, forming at this end a spanning or abutting surface 3I.

Referring to Figure 3, the parts comprising the terminal post I0 may be assembled by tilting the top of the body I2 to the right and threading the vertical wall I3 thereof through the slot 30 formed in the leg 28 of the biasing means 28, until the slot I! in the vertical wall I3 is adjacent theabutting surface 3| of the leg 28. The biasing member 24 is then shifted relative to the body I2 so that the abutting surface 3| is disposed in the slot I1, and then rotated so that the horizontal Wall I4 of the body 12 overlies the horizontal Wall of the biasing means 24.

It will be appreciated that the body I2 and biasing means 24 have been preformed so that apertures 2I and 26, formed respectively in the horizontal walls I4 and 25, are in alignment and the struck down portion 23 is closely accommodated in the slot 27. With the parts in this position, the screw 22 is inserted through the aligned apertures 2I and 26, and the screwthreaded end thereof is engaged with the screwthreaded aperture in the base I I. To prevent the terminal post II] from turning about the screw 22, the upper surface of the base II is provided with a recess 32 to closely accommodate that part of the struck down portion 23 projecting from the horizontal wall 25.

As shown in Figure 1, the leg 28 of the biasing means 24 is adapted to swing about the portion of the biasing means adjacent the junction of the leg 28 with the horizontal wall 25. The leg 28 is yieldably urged to the right, and movement in this direction is opposed by contact of the abutting surface 3I with the marginal wall It of the slot II. The leg 28 may be sprung to the left, and movement in this direction is limited by contact of the abutting surface 3| with the marginal wall I8 of the slot H. The marginal walls I8 and I9 of the slot II have been spaced so that the end of the leg 28 of the biasing means 24 will be positively stopped thereby, before the elastic limit of the metal forming the biasing means 24 is reached. The curved portion 29 of post H], and comprising a generally cylindrical portion 34 provided with an annular furrow 35 and a frusto-conical end 36. A conductor 31, disposed within the plug conductor terminal 33, may be fastened thereto, as by swedging,- indicated by the swedge indentations 38 in the frustoconical end 36.

To move the plug conductor terminal 33 to operative position with respect to the terminal post 10, the frustro-conical end 36 is inserted into the aperture l5, initial insertion causing the tapered surfaces of the frusto-conical end to engage the curved portion 29 and marginal walls of the recess l5 and cam the leg 28 of the biasing means 24 to the left, as viewed in Figure 1. Further insertion will align the annular furrow 35 with the aperture l5 and the curved portion 29 of the leg 28 will force the plug conductor to snap into the aperture l5, with the surface of the annular furrow 35 in engagement with the marginal wall of the aperture I5. It will be appreciated that the plug conductor terminal 33 may be withdrawn from operative engagement with the terminal post ID by pressing on'the free end of the leg 28 to move the leg to the left. The plug conductor terminal 33 may also be withdrawn by pullingthereupon, this force causing the curved surfaces of the annular furrow 35 to cam the leg 28 to the left to permit withdrawal of the plug conductor terminal 33. The plug conductor terminal 33 may also be inserted by moving the leg 28 clear of the aperture I5, inserting the plug conductor, and then letting the leg 28 spring back to engagement with the plug conductor, but

trical contact and connection means, economical in construction and assembly, and accordingly, accomplishes at least the principal object of my invention. It further will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing all of the advantages thereof, and that accordingly, the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. Receptacle means, comprising: a wall, having an aperture for receiving a conductor terminal, and having also a recess formed in a marginal surface; and a sheet metal member, having a part fixed with respect to said Wall, and a leg provided with a slot terminating short of the extremity of said leg, said slot being proportioned to receive said wall, and said leg being constructed and arranged to move transversely with respect to said aperture, the extremity of said leg being engageable with spaced margins of said wall recess to limit movement of said leg.

2. Receptacle means, comprising: a wall, having an aperture for receiving a conductor terminal, and having also a recess formed in a marginal surface; and a sheet metal member, having a part fixed with respect to said wall, and a leg provided with a slot terminating short of the extrem-' ity of said leg, said slot being proportioned to receive said wall, and said leg being constructed and arranged to move transversely with respect to said aperture, the extremity of said leg havinga portion movable within the confinesof said wall recess and engageable with the spaced margins thereof whereby to limit movement of said leg in two directions. I

3. Receptacle means, consistingof a first member having an aperture for receiving a conductor terminal, and having also a recess provided with at least two marginal surfaces, and a second member, having a part fixed with respect to said first member, and a leg provided with an opening terminating short of the extremity of said leg, said opening being proportioned to receive said'first member, and said leg being constructed and arranged to move transversely with respect to said aperture, the extremity of said leg being engageable with the said two marginal surfaces of said recess to limit movement of said leg.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

